Local Trails

Whitemarsh Preserve Trail System

There are several small trails within Chatham County’s Whitemarsh Preserve, located on Whitemarsh Island at the intersection of Johnny Mercer Blvd and Bryan Woods Road. The property was purchased by Chatham County in 2000 for greenspace, and the site is open to the public for hiking and mountain biking.

In 2010 the County began building a paved bike trail around the perimeter of the Whitemarsh Preserve, extending from the YMCA to Bryan Woods Road. The ultimate goal is to extend this trail to Wilmington Island to meet up with the McCorkle Trail. Informational signs at the entrance, small parking area, and more trails are planned for the future.

Are you old enough to know Tybee Island was once better known as Savannah Beach? If so, you probably also know this rails-to-trails path was the quickest and easiest way to get to Tybee Island—via railroad car. See what our forefathers saw when they went to Tybee to “take the salts” as you bike, walk or skate down this peaceful pathway.

Explore the locks of the Savannah Ogeechee Canal! A linear trail system is in development and you can currently explore what’s been done so far by visiting this National Register of Historic Places site.